Have you ever wondered why you are captivated by some websites and not others? What makes you remember one brand and completely forget the rest? Stay tuned as we dive into how and who your brand engages so you can attract more of the clients you love to work with.
Have you ever noticed that when you really engage someone, they only focus on you and hang on to every word you say?
They are not distracted by their thoughts or worries. They are not thinking of what to make for dinner. That person is totally captivated by your message and really hearing what you have to say.
We’ve all had that experience, right?
So, what makes you and your business captivating?
When you understand how the world sees you, you can connect in a more authentic way.
When we communicate genuinely and authentically in our most natural ways, we are more persuasive.
So it’s important to build your business around your core personal strengths and use it to appeal to your ideal clients.
Being authentic and in line with who you are can evoke a strong emotional response and give your clients an emotional experience that will keep them buzzing about you.
Simply sharing facts does not create a connection with your listener and facts are easily forgettable.
People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did
But people will never forget how you made them feel.
~Maya Angelou
So what is branding and how does it relate to our dream clients?
If you are asked that question, how do you respond? Many people think that branding is about a new logo or some trending new colors on your website. But it's not that simple - it goes much deeper than that.
Your brand is about creating an experience for your customers. By replacing the word “brand” with “experience”, it becomes easier to understand that your brand is certainly more than a graphic logo and the colors you’ve chosen to represent your business. It’s about shaping the world’s perception of your business and emotionally connecting your ideal client with your services.
It took me a little while to realize, that as a designer, my brand is not solely about me. It’s about the piece of me that is relevant to them – my clients.
My brand is focused on my ability to nurture someone else’s vision. My best work is the result of going beyond what my client tells me they need along with my ability to translate their vision into a design that captivates their audience.
Your brand should reflect your style and embrace your essence, but it’s not all about you!
Your own brand should be an intersection of who you are and who you believe your client can be. It’s about how the world perceives your business, which by the way, should feel very true to how you naturally interact.
When you understand how you draw people in, you will attract your dream clients – you know, the ones who energize and inspire you.
How do you define your brand?
Is your brand trusting, fun and inspiring?
Is your business soulful and organic or button-up professional?
Or is it elegant, provocative and mysterious?
Defining your brand identity helps you create an experience for your clients that will have them talking about you for months to come.
Create a brand you love and you will attract more of your dream clients.
Doing more of the work you love requires connecting with more of the right people.
Your ideal clients.
The people who truly energize and inspire you.
The ones you most want to serve.
Imagine that your business is thriving.
You’re only working with clients who understand and appreciate your value.
Sounds great, right?
It is possible. Simply follow the steps below.
1. Explore your brand personality
Think of your brand as a person and work on describing that individual and what a relationship with her would look like.
How would your brand be described? Bold and confident? Inspiring and empowering?
How would your clients answer this question? Is their perception of you what you expected?
A great way to learn how you are perceived is to go through your testimonials.
How do people describe the experience of working with you?
How do they describe your personality and your skills?
How did they feel while working with you?
My client's experience working with me reflect my brand ...
Their testimonials embraced what I was intending on providing for them.
- "Transforming their vision into a beautiful website."
- "Collaborating and working as a team."
- "Pushing them beyond their comfort zone and thinking outside the box."
- "Creative, passionate, personable, engaging and encouraging."
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my client's experience reflect my brand ...
Their testimonials actually describe my brand personality.
This is how people naturally see me and connect with me.
So I can use these to words and phrases to emphasize my super powers, amplify my personality and infuse it into my website.
Your personality words and the way the world defines them creates the emotional response you intend. You don’t want to try and be something you’re not. In fact, it’s the opposite, you have to become more of who you are.
When you become more of who you are, it feels effortless, there’s no energy, no resistance in becoming who you are so you can naturally succeed.
2. Emotionally Connect your Ideal Client with your Services
Have you ever purchased a service based on a testimonial that touched you to the core? A story that described exactly how you felt and what you were struggling with. A person that came out the other side feeling inspired with hope?
I have. More times than I ever imagined. That testimonial resonated with me. I felt like they were in my head, reading my journals and knew exactly how much I was suffering.
A great way to emotionally connect is to identify your most valuable clients and imagine you are speaking to them as individuals (I do this all the time when I am writing blog posts). Look for pain points in your social media groups and create solutions specific to those issues.
Write a blog post that will help them move forward. Use their language back to them, and by that I mean their exact words and phrases. This will help them feel heard and understood. When they feel validated, they feel that you care and that builds trust.
Oprah says it best when she gives this piece of advice ...
I see you. I hear you. What you say matters.
The best brands inspire us to feel something.
Particularly when you focus on the experience and benefits rather than just the features.
For example, decorative bins are quite popular these day and while you may want to know how strong and durable they are, your dream clients are much more likely to resonate with this if they are busy moms with young families …
Imagine waking up every morning to the fresh aroma of coffee while you sit in your fresh living room admiring your colorful garden growing outside. You look around satisfyingly knowing that everything is in its place, no clutter, no toys on the floor, no phone cords laying around, just simple clean beauty. Even the kids know where to put their stuff. And best of all, Kathy’s bins match your décor perfectly and even add a splash of color in your home.
When potential clients believe that you can deliver the results you promise, they can picture themselves working with you.
They get excited about working with you. They can picture how their life will be different when they're done.
It’s all about the customer experience you provide. It’s about being intentional about who you are and what you want to stand for.
3. Incorporate visual elements that are consistent with your brand
Your brand must amplify how the world is drawn to you. It must represent how the world interprets the words you choose and the design elements presented.
If your focus is on elegance, thought provoking and empowerment, you will want to use a classy, polished photography style, luxurious fonts and a tasteful color palette.
If your focus is on simplicity, thoughtfulness and intentionality, you will want to use a simple, quiet photography style, simple fonts and plenty of white space.
What you say must be in alignment with what your potential client sees. You want to help them picture themselves working with you.
If you are using words like bold, daring and ambitious in your services, don’t water things down with a flowery bohemian brand just because it is the current trend or that is what you love today.
If your services focus on keeping things simple, intentional, minimal – don’t confuse your visitors with a loud edgy brand. Your potential clients will feel the disconnect even if they can’t pinpoint why and this creates a lack of trust.
When your message aligns with your visual brand, this leads to credibility and trust. When there is no disconnect with what you say and how you portray yourself, clients will believe that you can deliver the results you promise.
4. Be authentic and unique – Just BE You
The magic of having a website that attracts the clients you love to work with is that you get to be you. Not who you think you ought to be, not who all the marketing gurus say you should be, just you. The best version of you that people love and naturally connect with.
You don't need to waste your energy on being somebody you're not (besides, clients will eventually see through this).
By focusing on what lights you up and inspires those around you, you will attract more of your dream clients.
Just remember ...
- If you want to speak to everybody you end up speaking to nobody.
- You’re going to have to put yourself out there and let your true self shine.
- Some people won’t like it but you probably wouldn’t work well together anyway (this is a great way to screen out the wrong clients).
- You may not be for everybody, but the people who love you, will really love you!
Think of it like Ice Cream
When I was 18, I lived with my best friend in Montreal for the summer. On one hot summer evening, she eagerly introduced me to her favorite ice cream shop several blocks away from her apartment. It was the creamiest most decadent ice cream that brought absolute bliss to my taste buds. I was hooked! No, I was addicted!
For the first few nights, my cousin gave into my cravings and joined me as we walked the long journey to La Crémière. As the nights passed by, my cravings grew more intense. I even bribed her with offering to pay, I loved it so much, even though I was still paying my way through university.
When people love a brand, they really really love it. They will walk across town for it. They will pay more for it. They want to talk about it? They become a raving fan.
Have you ever experienced that with a brand? Think of your favorite planner, journal or purse. Do you proudly brag about them to your friends? Are you willing to pay more for the pleasure and convenience they bring to you? There is something unique and authentic about it that makes it a guilty pleasure.
If you want people to care about your business then you need to be authentic and when you do, people will passionately care about you. Your clients will spread the word and you will attract more of the same. It’s a snowball effect that attracts ease in your business
Be Your Best Self and you will attract more of your dream clients.
Have you ever had that experience?
Where you tried to be somebody you’re not?
Did it work? Was it stressful?
This is what I most feared and then discovered that I most loved about being in business.
I could be me and succeed.
As a matter of fact, the more I showed my true colours, my passion and creativity, the more successful I became. And I attracted the people I love to work with. We connect and it’s like we’ve known each other our whole life.
The best gift you can give yourself and your clients and your business is to ...
JUST BE YOU! BE YOUR BEST SELF!
Where to start?
Running your own business is refreshing, exciting and empowering. Knowing you can have an impact on others and transform their world into something they never thought was possible is such an incredible experience for both you and your client.
Knowing that you can succeed by creating a brand that authentically captivates your essence and personality is a blessing that brings simplicity and ease into your business.
You can get started by exploring your brand personality and identifying how you can create a compelling experience that engages your audience.
If that sounds overwhelming to you, I can help. We begin with a journey of discovery. My approach combines your personality and vision with the ways your ideal client perceives your work. We explore using visual elements to convey your brilliance and captivate your audience, authentically and in a way that sets you apart in the marketplace. Ready for some magic? Let's chat!